Chapter 87: Chapter 87

With the Androny guards dismissed, Sokram, satisfied with their progress, turned his attention to Amber and Lucy.

A surge of surprised delight warmed him as he noted their advancements: Amber’s Aura and Vitha Cores had both reached Tier 3, as had Lucy’s Magi and Vitha Cores.

Their eyes snapped open, almost at the same time, as if they had been racing against each other.

Their gazes locked, and a shared grin bloomed between them, a silent congratulations tinged with an undeniable spark of rivalry.

Sokram approached them with a proud smile, patting their heads, “Very good, the two of you are ready for the next step. Come with me.”

Savannah, who had reached Tier 3 some time ago, continued diligently cultivating until Sokram’s voice shifted her focus.

She noticed the change in her two companions and smiled, “Congratulations, girls!”

“Thank you!” They said in unison.

Yet, they could clearly see Savannah’s fingers clenching the fabric of her robes with a forced smile and her gaze avoiding theirs after she congratulated them.

Lucy smiled at her best friend, trying to cheer her up, “You better not relax now, or you will not catch up to us.”

Recognizing the playful jab beneath Lucy’s words, Savannah smirked. “My comprehension of Aura may suck, but enjoy the advantage while you can."

Yet, Sokram looked at her with indignation, “Girl, you formed a Tier 3 Spirit Core in less than two months, how is that poor comprehension?”

“But I’m still behind,” Savannah grumbled, her voice tinged with a playful whine. “I was only cultivating one energy while they were tackling two.”

Sokram, however, saw past her feigned complaint, recognizing she was merely fishing for encouragement.

“After Tier 3, the core becomes denser. To reach Tier 4, you need twice the energy of the previous Tier, so you’re still very fast, being halfway there.”

Sokram explained, but then he added, “Besides, you’re learning Runecraft, which is very complex, and I know you skipped a few nights of cultivation to focus on it, so it’s only natural.”

Savannah nodded in acceptance, “True.”

And then she closed her eyes and went back to her cultivation, feeling more motivated.

Meanwhile, he guided Amber and Lucy to the other side of the backyard so they wouldn’t be disturbed while forming their Chaos Energy Cores.

That night, Sokram didn’t manage to cultivate at all.

When his other teammates arrived, Hilda had to send them back home, telling them that Sokram would not be able to hold their training session for the day.

By sunrise, Sokram had finished converting Lucy’s cores.

The moment Chaos Energy surged through her veins, raw with intoxicating power, euphoria overwhelmed her.

With a gleeful cry, she lunged at Sokram, crushing her lips against his. She was so overtaken with joy that Hilda had to break them apart; otherwise, Lucy wouldn’t stop.

“Sorry, Mom,” Lucy said meekly under Hilda’s stern gaze.

But then she turned back to Sokram with shining eyes, “Can you teach me how to cast Fireballs?”

Sokram grinned while catching his breath and nodded, “Sure, come here.”

Hilda pried Lucy away, her voice a sharp whisper. “Behave!”

“Yes, Mom.” Lucy grinned sheepishly, and Hilda turned back to the house, but what Lucy didn’t see was that Hilda's cheeks were flushed.

‘These foxes are just too cute.’ Hilda thought, struggling to maintain her composure.

Brunhild and Margiory, who were cultivating nearby, only giggled.

They understood better than anyone how exhilarating that feeling was, not only for the power increase but because of the certainty of fast advancement.

After a few hours’ rest, Sokram began the arduous process of converting Amber’s cores.

She tried to protest, telling him not to overexert himself, but he wasn’t.

Instead, he was pushing his mental strength to the limits for a reason that he wasn’t going to disclose until it was the right time.

By the end of the afternoon, just as the sun was setting, Amber let out a breath of relief, feeling the overwhelming sense of power that came with the Chaos Energy coursing through her body.

The first thing she did was use the lighting steps she learned from Sokram while practicing the martial art he gifted her, The Way of the Mage.

“Hahaha!” Amber’s laughter rang like wind chimes, bright and unrestrained, as she blurred across the backyard from one side to the other with lightning-empowered steps that were now red and way faster.

Her joy was as palpable as Lucy’s had been hours back when she cast fireball after fireball toward the sky.

Seeing Amber so full of energy and joy brought a big smile to Sokram’s face.

He sat resting his back over a tree tiredly, and before he realized it, he fell into deep slumber right there in the backyard.

Hannah appeared beside him, before Sayuri, and carried him to his room. Hilda and the others explained the essentials of Chaos Energy to Lucy and Amber, how to wield it and how to hide it.

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Only after a couple of hours of questions and answers, mostly questions made by Amber while Lucy went along with it, were they sent to rest.

From then on, their training changed; they would only cultivate during sleeping hours.

During the day, Sokram would focus on either honing their fighting skill or broadening their theoretical knowledge.

But to Savannah, nothing changed, but she didn’t feel abandoned, as her other four teammates had just started a journey, and she was close to ending it.

From that point on, his routine returned to the usual.

That is, until Hilda, after finally accepting Miralyn’s investment, after being stubborn for a while, decided to move forward with recruiting the hunting teams for the butcheries.

Astrid also pitched in after borrowing some money from Margiory.

Sokram was confused by their acting like that because he made it clear that the funds he gathered were for them to use as well, especially to hire the new teams.

Instead, Hilda told him, “Why can you refuse our money, and we have to accept yours?” The source of this content ɪs novel•fire.net

After that, he didn’t raise the question anymore, knowing it was a matter of pride for them, too.

Sokram told them that he would take the lead in the selection process. After explaining all that he had planned with the help of Karini and Leona, they agreed to it without hesitation.

But they wouldn’t just sit on the sidelines and watch.

Sokram made sure that each of them would have a part to play in it.

One of the main reasons they allowed him to take the lead was his eye for talent.

Having him screen through the candidates, selecting only the best among them, would ease their workload immensely.

Despite offering twenty to thirty vacancies, the payment was so good that it attracted more than a hundred candidates.

Hadn’t it been for the fact that the union between the Androny and the Dracnakrid families had spread throughout the city, no one would have believed that such an offer was truly real.

They even had to borrow a room in the City’s Lord Palace, which was a lot easier thanks to Leona’s help.

On the day of the meeting, Sokram and his family arrived at the meeting room, which was large enough to host a couple of hundred people seated.

They were very pleased to see a little over a hundred warriors from Tier 6 to 10 seated, waiting for the selection to start.

Sokram saw a few faces he recognized and would make sure to hire them, even if he had to form his own team.

But he also recognized a few spies from the Steelhearts among the crowd, courtesy of the Purple Pavilion.

Sokram and his family entered the room, led by him, and assumed their seats on the stand in front of the crowd.

Sokram remained standing as Margiory and Hannah suggested that, since this endeavor started with him, he should be the face that appeared in their minds when his future employees thought of the word: Boss.

“Good morning to all, I am Sokram di Dracony vid Dracnakrid and will be leading this selection process.” Sokram introduced himself politely.

The crowd couldn’t help but exchange glances.

After all, watching the infamous Lady Androny, the Grand Duchess, and the Battle-Junkie Widow stand back and let a thirteen-year-old lead this recruitment was nothing short of surreal.

“I’ll start by explaining the benefits offered and the tests for this selection.” Sokram's voice echoed through the silent room, but a few heads perked up at the mention of the benefits offered.

“First, the salary. It was announced as two crowns. That… was a mistake.”

A few disappointed sighs resounded before he finished, “The real number is three gold crowns monthly for three monthly hunting operations.” Those who were disappointed snapped their gazes to Sokram with wide-eyed enthusiasm.

“After that, the materials for the hunting operations that weren’t explained on the notice pamphlet consist of regenerative pills and potions, protective runestones, and occasional support of warriors on the Flawless Existence level.”

Murmurs rippled like waves across the crowded hall.

A few anxious coughs punctuated the air, the tension almost tactile.

Many spoke in disbelief, but Sokram’s voice resounded once more, silencing the room, “There will be time for questions, but please be quiet for the time being. There is more to discuss before that.”

His tone was calm, yet it carried unmistakable authority.

The room quickly became silent; no one dared risk an early disqualification, mainly because the boy in front of them clearly was the one who would be doing the selecting.

All while the powerful women behind him just silently watched, casting glances of approval at him from time to time.

“Before the tests, everyone who wants to participate in this selection will have to sign a blood contract of secrecy. If you don’t know how to read or don’t understand the legal terms. The Justiciars appointed by the City Lord will, under Oath of Honesty, clarify them for you.”

Sokram paused and pointed at the ten Justiciars they had hired for the occasion.

The Justiciars were responsible for clarifying legal matters in the civil sphere, for example, reading and explaining contractual clauses for the illiterate, overseeing commercial deals, transferences of property deeds, and any other situation that needed to be handled according to the law of Norwinter to ensure fairness for all.

“These contracts are not only for our protection but for yours as well, as the people we’re looking to hire must fit a specific set of requirements. Thus, probing candidates' Cores and reviewing their Records will be necessary. If…”

But just as he was about to continue, the room exploded in chatter again, some complaining about the absurdity, others murmuring that this looked suspicious, but no one stood up to leave.

Sokram’s voice exploded through the chamber, his mana-infused shout rattling windows and sending a shockwave through the floor.

Even the air trembled, leaving everyone stunned and staring at him wide-eyed.

Seeing the room quiet, Sokram continued, “If you find the protection of your private information lacking, you can request us to change the terms to suit your preferences. The standard clause on the protection of your information states that if we breach the contract, the Void will claim my soul. And you will be compensated with five thousand crowns.”

His words eased the tension in the room.

After all, no one would dare break a blood contract bound to the soul of the heir of three powerful families.

Seeing the crowd more at ease, Sokram continued, “If you’re still uncomfortable sharing your information, even with these terms, I thank you for your time. You’re free to leave.”

His tone was firm and unhesitant, leaving no room for argument as he pointed to the door, “You all have five minutes to make your minds up.”

Sokram turned around and went to speak with his family, and suddenly he heard the doors opening.

He turned around to see who was leaving, and eleven people unknowingly marked themselves as potential spies.

And would now be under the surveillance of the Purple Pavilion.

After five minutes had passed, his gaze swept the room.

"Ninety-seven," he muttered with a quick nod.

But then the door swung open again, and his Master walked in, and behind her, a few faces that made him a lot happier.

“I’ve found the guards giving trouble to these elves outside. You don’t mind them getting here late, do you?” Leona’s voice came booming joyfully, teasing as she smiled at Sokram.

“Of course not, Master. Especially since you’re the one who brought them in, just seeing your beautiful face made me feel a little generous.” Sokram's grin turned shamelessly flirty.

But then his gaze shifted to the four elven siblings that had just entered, seeing their cultivations hadn’t passed Tier 5, he wasn’t disappointed because he knew their potential.

Four Wood-Elf siblings stepped in, their dark olive skin catching the light like polished bronze.

Amber-colored eyes scanned the room, sharp, calculating.

Each wore fur-lined light armor, the faint musk of oiled leather and forest lingering around them.

The brothers all had similar haircuts: short, curly, and messy. Their sister was a beauty with long, wavy hair. All of them shared the same clear, almost fiery amber eyes.

Sokram motioned them to approach as he called, “You latecomers, come closer so I can put you up to date.”

He then looked at the Justiciars and told them, “You can start. There are ten rows of chairs and ten of you, right?”

And thus, it began, the day not just a business was born.

This day would mark the beginning of the rise of the Dracnakrid, Androny, and Dracony families in Eversnow.

But also marked the first step toward the birth of Sokram’s new clan, the Draggonia Clan.